


Bastion

by 9foxgrl



Category: RWBY
Genre: Ace Ops - Freeform, Angst with a Happy Ending, Atlas arc, BAMF Jaune Arc, Background Relationships, Bumblebee - Freeform, Cults, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Guard Dog (RWBY), M/M, Marriage Proposal, Modern Royalty, Renora, Romance, Tags with update as I go, Team as Family, White Rose - Freeform, alternative universe, fair game, mini stories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25623259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/9foxgrl/pseuds/9foxgrl
Summary: Just some short stories centered around Jaune Arc and Marrow Amin. Ranging from various prompts and genres.
Relationships: Marrow Amin/Jaune Arc, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 16
Kudos: 43





	1. The Crowned Regent & Royal Consort

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how I fell in love with this ship, and honestly, I'm a little afraid to ask now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the last King of Vale stepped down, he left a clause that should the Council be deemed incompetent, or be assassinated, the Crowned Regent and Royal Consort would step in and assume control of the government. Jaune and his husband are not pleased.

Jaune was very, very annoyed right now. In the last seventy-two hours, due to a combination of idiotic bureaucracy and one car bombing, the Vale council was reduced from a body of five to two bumbling buffoons and one racist moron whose spawn had made his life at Beacon utter hell.

After leaving a letter of resignation with a stunned Professor Goodwitch, the teen had thrown aside his hoodie and worn jeans to dress in a dark blue suit, complete with gold-lined tailed coat and silk cravat.

Adjusting the emerald pin on his cravat, he took a deep breath to center himself before slamming the doors to the council chambers open.

"I am Jaune Aurelian Arc; Crown Regent of Vale and descendant of King Osborne William Arcadia. Under the Royal Charter of Hallows, I hereby invoke the powers of sovereignty." Jaune declared before the Council could utter a word. "So, mote it be."

"That's preposterous, the Crown Regent is Jason!" the large auburn-haired man shouted.

"Not anymore," Jaune replied as he lifted his hand to show them an ornate gold ring.

"Finch, he's wearing the royal signet ring." A weedy man whispered as Jaune took his seat at the head of the table.

"I still refuse to believe this, Jason-"

"Is dead, and his wife Marie-Elizabeth has been institutionalized for her health," Jaune stated coldly. "You may argue about my age later, Winchester; we have far more important matters to handle here."

"There is nothing really to discuss, your majesty. We have been running the Kingdom quite smoothly." The plump man on Finch Winchester's left stated nervously.

"Is that so Alouette? Because I would have to say otherwise; the rising costs of Dust, plus the worrying number of robberies of said Dust, the break-in at the CCT, rising crime rates, the underfunded police, the militia is consisting of only fifty men because _somebody_ insisted that the Faunus be stripped of their rank and dismissed! By the Brothers, one of your colleagues was blown up in front of this very building! Feel free to stop me at any time, gentlemen; otherwise, we may be here all day." Jaune snarled hotly.

"You know?" the weedy man gulped.

"Of course, I know Tybalt. I am the Crowned Reagent; I am supposed to know about _all_ the workings of the Kingdom." Jaune stated sternly.

The fourth man who had been sitting quietly until now spoke up. He had no official place in this room, and Jaune could only assume that he was there for 'legal' purposes. "Your majesty, you must understand, we were operating in the best interests of the kingdom!"

"In whose best interest Wilkins? Because every report I've read so far has insisted that only Lillian was performing her job correctly, may the Gods guard her soul."

"Until a complete audit of the kingdom is done, the Council is _persona non grata,"_ Jaune ordered sternly. "You four are dismissed."

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

"By the decree of King Osborne and the very oath you've taken, I can," Jaune replied coldly. "Now get out, or I will have the Royal Legion escort you out and place you in a prison cell."

Another man, a Faunus, was waiting outside the door with two armed royal knights at his side. Like Jaune, he wore a similar deep blue suit lined in gold, the only difference being the fleur-de-lis pin on his lapel.

"Your majesty, my apologizes for arriving late." the man replied with a bow.

"No need for apologies, Marrow, the Council has been disbanded; we may be the audit at once," Jaune stated.

"I see." Marrow stated as he looked at the councilors, who looked back at him with open disgust. "In that case, gentlemen, I will need all the records for your departments post-haste."

"You think I will listen to some filthy animal?" Finch shouted only to have the knights draw their swords and aim them at his throat.

"This 'filthy animal' is the last descendant of Tsar Aleksander of Mantle and the Royal Consort of Vale." Marrow replied sternly. "So I'd advise you to watch your tongue Winchester, lest you wish for me to cut it out."

** LATER THAT DAY: BEACON ACADEMY **

Teams (J)NPR and RWBY were moping. The day before, Jaune had been reading an email on his scroll when he started to swear and then left his team's room to make a phone call. By the next morning, they had been informed that Jaune had resigned from Beacon.

"He didn't even say goodbye." Nora moped.

"Maybe he had a good reason?" Ren questioned.

"What reason could he have just to drop everything and leave?" Pyrrha questioned.

"Wait-Jaune's on TV!"

Jaune was on screen with another man, and both were dressed rather formally and standing in the Vale Council chambers.

_"To the citizens of Vale; as of 3 pm today, the Council has been declared persona non grata for their failure to serve in the best interests of you, the people. As of today, I, Crown Regent Jaune Aurelian Arc of Vale, and my husband, Royal Consort Marrow Aleksander Amin of Mantle, have declared sovereign law. Over the next few weeks, the entire Kingdom will be audited and restructured to ensure that our citizens are being protected."_

_"To my brothers and sisters, I come to you from Solitas, not seeking to make Vale a militaristic state, but to ensure our forces are trained and ready to defend our kingdom's borders from the Grimm and bandits."_ Marrow stated. " _Therefore, I am requesting that all men and women aged eighteen and up who have expressed interest in joining the militia to contact Gawain Nesta of the Royal Legion immediately."_

_"Together we are united and shall bring Vale glory."_ the couple stated in unison as the newscast ended.

The cafeteria erupted into chaos.

"JAUNE IS ROYALTY?" Weiss, Ruby, and Nora screamed.

"HE'S MARRIED?" Pyrrha and Yang screamed.

"His husband is a Faunus." Blake gasped.

Ren said nothing but took a sip of his tea.

** ATLAS  **

"MARROW IS FUCKING ROYALTY?!"

** BASTION DE LA ARCADIA-VALE **

After finally ridding himself of his formal attire, Jaune stripped down into his comfy pajamas and flopped into bed with his husband was on the verge of dozing off. Despite having been apart for nearly five months, the couple immediately gravitated to each other.

Their marriage had initially been a power play to ensure Jaune's ascension to the throne over his sisters, but they did care about each other. Jaune had even spent the better part of two years living undercover in Mantle to get to know the man, who was unaware that he was royalty. It was a big surprise for the young man to find out that he was the last true heir to the Atlesian throne

Jaune had purposely proposed to Marrow for two reasons; one was that he was of royal blood, so his mother Marie-Elizabeth could not dare contest it; the second was that as a Faunus, Marrow would automatically win support from over forty percent of the Vale population and make the White Fang hesitate to attack openly. 

"Sorry to drag you away from Atlas, I know you were about to graduate," Jaune whispered.

"Don't worry about it." Marrow replied sleepily as nuzzled Jaune. "Explained it to Ironwood…He was surprised but understood I had to leave. He even gave me an armed escort to Vale. Something about not wanting a political assassination on his hands."

Jaune snickered. "Oh, I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when those egg heads in Atlas found out that you are technically allowed to rule over Solitas."

"Winter is supposed to take pictures."


	2. Don't Drink the Koolaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you didn’t know you were raised in a cult until you traveled halfway across the world to stop the end of the world and introduced your friends to the husband, they didn’t know you had.

After learning of the plans for the Amity Arena, the travelers were just leaving General Ironwood's office when Jaune was practically run over by one of the Ace Ops.

"JAUNE!"

"M-Marrow?" Jaune stuttered as he blushed red. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here! Remember, I graduated early!" Marrow replied. Jaune smiled and was about to congratulate him when a thought occurred to him.

"YOU ARRESTED ME!"

"Sorry, I'll make it up to you later." Marrow replied as he hugged Jaune.

"Good to see you too, Marrow," Jaune replied cheerfully before giving the Specialist a quick kiss on the lips.

"You guys know each other?" Nora asked.

"Of course, Marrow is my husband," Jaune replied nonchalantly.

"WHAT?!" the group shouted.

"It's a stupid law from our village; if we wanted to leave, we had to be married." Marrow replied. "Since Jaune and I were already close, we just got married and went on our way."

"HOW DOES THAT LAW EVEN MAKE SENSE?!" Weiss shouted.

"No idea," Jaune replied. "But still, praise Ozma! I'm glad you're alright, Marrow!"

" _Praise Ozma?"_ Yang questioned in disbelief. Her teammates and Qrow were gobsmacked at the phrase Jaune uttered. Behind her, Oscar had gone oddly still after he heard Ozpin shriek in the back of his mind.

_"Oh, Gods! Don't tell me they survived!"_

"Ozma is the name of one of the Gods, our town worshipped." Marrow explained. He raised a brow at Team RWBY's horrified faces before turning to his husband. "What's wrong with them?"

"I thought Ozpin was Ozma?" Weiss whispered to Ruby.

"We didn't tell Jaune that," Ruby replied.

"Wait, you said one…was there another?" Ironwood commented from behind the teens.

"Yeah, the Goddess of Destruction: Salem," Jaune replied.

"SALEM!?" the group screamed. "AS IN THE FUCKING RULER OF THE GRIMM?"

"Well, they always referred to her as the Mother of Grimm. So, hearing about it from you guys, wasn't so much a stretch." Marrow replied as Jaune nodded sagely.

"The whole 'Salem will destroy everything' was taught to us since we could walk," Jaune replied. "As long as the Ritual of Appeasement was performed during every eclipse, we were safe."

"That's not the problem!" Oscar stated, trying to tun out Ozpin's hysterical screams of denial that the 'old followers were still alive'.

"What's the problem?"

"Jaune! Ozpin is Ozma!" Ruby shouted.

"I was trained by one of the Gods?" Jaune questioned.

 _"I'M NOT A GOD!"_ Ozpin screamed. 

"He's not a God," Oscar replied. "Salem made people worship them in the past, sort of a twisted religion."

Jaune and Marrow froze, the gears were turning in their head before they screamed in unison.

"OH, GODS! WE WERE RAISED IN A CULT?!"

"FUCK! IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW!" Jaune screamed. "THE FUCKING RITUALS! WHY NO ONE TOLD US ABOUT AURA! OR THE KINGDOMS-"

"-OR WHY PEOPLE LOOKED AT US WEIRD WHEN WE SPOKE IN THE OLD TONGUE!"

"Old tongue?" Blake asked.

 _"IT WAS BAD ENOUGH WHEN AN ENTIRE EMPIRE WORSHIPPED ME! I THOUGHT I NIPPED IT IN THE BUD THE NEXT TIME AROUND! WHY ARE THEY STILL WORSHIPPING ME?"_ Ozpin screamed.

"THAT EXPLAINS WHY WE HAD TO GET MARRIED JUST TO LEAVE THE TOWN! FUCK; NO WONDER SAPHRON AND TERRA GOT THE HELL OUTTA DODGE! THEY MUST HAVE KNOWN!"

"AND THE GRIMM THAT ALWAYS SHOWED UP DURING THE ECLIPSE, NO WONDER THEY WERE SO WEIRD!"

"HOW THE FUCK DID WE NOT SEE THIS BEFORE!" the couple screamed.


	3. Accidental Confession.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OTP Prompt  
> Person C: So…You confessed to B?  
> Person A: Yes.  
> Person C: Over a text?  
> Person A: Yes.  
> Person C: A C C I D E N T A L L Y?  
> Person A: Yes.  
> Person C: How in the world is that even possible?  
> AKA: Elm, who fills the big sister role for Marrow, finds out her little brother is in love.

**Goodest_Boi: FUCK!**

**IamRoot: ???**

**IamRoot: You okay?**

**Goodest_Boi: No…yes…idk**

**IamRoot: There, there. Tell big sis all about it.**

**Goodest_Boi: Promise you won’t tease? (‘-‘*)**

**IamRoot: (** **≧∀≦** **ゞ** **I’m your mentor, of course, I’ll tease.**

**IamRoot: But I’ll tone it down today.**

**Goodest_Boi: I’m in love**

**IamRoot: !!!!!**

**CAPT.Ebi >M. Amin**

**CAPT.Ebi: Why is Elm screaming**

**M. Amin: We were discussing a personal matter sir.**

**CAPT. Ebi: While on a mission?**

**M. Amin: Sudden realization. I needed her input.**

**CAPT. Ebi: Ok, carry on.**

**Goodest_Boi >IamRoot**

**IamRoot: My crops have been watered! My skin is clear!**

**IamRoot: MY LIL BRO HAS FOUND HIS SOUL MATE! (** **ᗒᗨᗕ** **)**

**IamRoot: Who is it? Who won ur heart? (** **ᗒᗨᗕ** **)**

**Goodest_Boi: …Jaune**

**IamRoot: The blond knight?**

**Goodest_Boi: Yeah**

**CAPT.Ebi > M. Amin**

**CAPT. Ebi: She’s screaming again**

**CAPT. Ebi: This time about… ‘little golden retrievers’ and sunshine?**

**M. Amin: Sorry, didn’t think she would react like this.**

**CAPT. Ebi: …What are you talking about?**

**M. Amin: Private matter sir…** **(** **ﾟｰﾟ** **;**

**CAPT. Ebi: Right…Well she’s scaring off the Grimm.**

**CAPT. Ebi: Literally, a megoliath just ran smack into the mountain.**

**M. Amin:** **Σ** **(O_O)**

**CAPT. Ebi: @E. Ederne’s been teaching you emoticons, hasn’t she?**

**M. Amin: (** **￣** **▽** **￣** **)** **ゞ**

**CAPT. Ebi: …**

When Jaune got back from his mission in Mantle, he was not expecting to be hugged by Elm who was ranting about him having her blessings in regards to his partnership with Marrow.

**Marrow >Jaune**

**Jaune: Why did Elm just tell me I had her blessings?**

**Marrow: ELM FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME!** **ヽ** **(** **≧** **Д** **≦** **)** **ノ**

**Marrow: I JUST CAN’T RUN UP TO JAUNE AND SAY ‘I LOVE YOU’**

**Jaune: (** **◯** **///** **◯** **) You…love me?**

**Ruby >Weiss**

**Ruby: Did that Grimm just run into a wall on purpose??**

**Weiss: Oh thank Gods, you saw it too?**

**Goodest_Boi >IamRoot**

**Goodest_Boi: I FUCKED UP!**

**Goodest_Boi: I ACCIDENTALLY CONFESSED TO JAUNE OVER A TEXT!**

**Goodest_Boi: JUST THROW ME INTO THE TUNDRA ALREADY!**

**Goodest_Boi: OR INTO THE SUN!!**

**IamRoot: So…You confessed to Jaune? Σ(▼□▼** **ﾒ** **)**

**Goodest_Boi: Yes.**

**IamRoot: Over a text?**

**Goodest_Bou: Yes.**

**IamRoot: A C C I D E N T A L L Y?**

**Goodest_Boi: Yes.**

**IamRoot: How in the world is that even possible? (** **｡** ** >** **艸** **< )**

**Lucky Charm > Corvus**

**Lucky Charm: She’s screaming again, should I be worried?**

**Corvus: Only if you’re the one she’s matchmaking**

**Lucky Charm: How did-?**

**Corvus: I have TWO nieces and SEVEN adopted kids.**

**Corvus: Eight with Penny.**

**Corvus: Eyes open Boy Scout**

**Lucky Charm: …Did that Grimm just nose dive into the ground??**

**Corvus: …Oh thank Gods, you saw it too?**

**Corvus: I thought I was hallucinating.**

Marrow nearly screamed as Jaune raced into the locker room where he had been hiding for the better part of the last hour.

“YOU LOVE ME?!”

“…Yes.” Marrow squeaked.

Jaune approached slowly and placed his hands on Marrow’s face. “For real?”

“Yeah…” Marrow gulped.

Jaune studied him for a moment and then smiled before giving him a quick chaste kiss to the lips. Marrow had to fight every instinct in his body to not grab him by the waist pull him into a breathtaking embrace. 

“Do you…want to go see a movie?” Jaune asked the stunned Ace Op. "I’ll buy the popcorn.”

“I...sure...is six o’clock okay?” Marrow stuttered. 

“Six is fine.”

**Goodest_Boi >IamRoot**

**Goodest_Boi: ELM!!!! HE KISSED ME.**

**Goodest_Boi: WE’RE GOING ON A DATE!!!**

**IamRoot: Great!**

**IamRoot: Now just put a ring on him and reel him in!**

**Goodest_Boi: AEWKJDNFJ**

**Goodest_Boi: TOO SOON ELM!**

**IamRoot: BULLSHIT! GITTIM BOI!**

**GEN. IRONWOOD >ALL**

**GEN. IRONWOOD: Did anyone else just see a bunch of Grimm crash into each** **other? On purpose?**

**SCHNEE: YOU TOO?**

**BRANWEN: AGAIN??**

**EBI: WHAT IS GOING ON TODAY**

**BREE: Really???**

**ZEKI: How peculiar.**

**EDERNE: IT’S THE POWER OF LOVE PEOPLE!!!**

**EDERNE: IT’S A GRIMM REPELLANT!!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "MY BABY BROTHER IS IN LOVE PEOPLE! WITH AN EMBODIMENT OF SUNSHINE! THEIR BABIES ARE GOING TO BE SO ADORABLE! LIKE LITTLE GOLDEN RETRIEVERS!!" - Elm Ederne


	4. Prisoner of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In desperation to keep Jaune alive and out of Salem’s grasp, Marrow convinces Ironwood to use Jaune for his semblance, rather than lock him away. His plan works a little too well, and Jaune becomes a prisoner of the Atlas Military.

It had been a reckless and foolish decision, but one Marrow would not be regretting anytime soon. Perhaps one day in the future, but today was not that day. He had gone with the group to Mantle to retrieve Clover’s body from the tundra. It had hurt to see his comrade in arms lying there, in a pool of his own blood. They carefully placed him in a body bag and were about to take off when a small pack of Grimm appeared.

Marrow gritted his teeth and started to shoot and smash his way through them all. He heard a Sabyr cry out in pain behind him, drawing his attention in time to see a flash of blond hair and white armor behind Mantle’s wall.

It was a crazy, reckless, and foolish maneuver. But at the time, he wasn’t thinking about that. His vision was focused on his target.

_“Stay!”_

There is a small yelp as his semblance hits true. He rushes forward and quickly handcuffs them. Blue, terrified eyes look into his.

“Hi, Jaune.”

“Marrow, please don’t do this.” Jaune pleaded as he tried in vain to break free.

Marrow studied his face; the knight was tired and was covered in soot. How long had he been fighting out here? And where was his team? Had he gotten separated from them, or were they in hiding nearby?

 _‘Irrelevant.’_ Marrow decided as he gripped Jaune by his collar and started to drag him towards the waiting airship. _‘I have what I wanted.’_

Marrow escorted him onto the airship, ignoring the wide-eyed stares of his fellow soldiers and sitting next to him. Jaune stares at the body bag for several minutes into the trip before quietly asking: “Who?”

“Clover.” Marrow replied calmly. “Qrow, Tyrian, and Robyn were gone.”

“I’m sorry…” Jaune replied quietly.

They rode in silence for several more minutes before Jaune jerked up in his seat as they landed. The crew took Clover’s body out first before Jaune and Marrow disembarked.

“Marrow…are you sure he’s dead?” Jaune asked in a tiny voice as they watched detail enter the elevator ahead of them. “He was…in the cold a long time…if even a little aura was alive…to keep his brain active…”

Marrow stared at him in confusion before his eyes widened in realization. “We need to get you into the morgue.”

* * *

Apparently, the detail that had carried Clover’s body into the hospital had not gone down to the basement morgue. Instead, the General demanded the body be brought up to the seventh floor to see it for themselves. The duo ran the flights of stairs and all but fell through the door into the corridor.

“What is he doing here?” James demanded.

Marrow was gripping Jaune’s shoulder tightly as the blond tried to catch his breath. “His semblance is Healing, sir. It would be wiser to keep him as an asset than allow him to fall into Salem’s hands.”

Marrow took a deep breath and played his ace card. “Sir, there is a chance that he can heal Clover.”

“That’s impossible; he was stabbed through the chest.” Harriet shouted.

“If he has any aura left in his brain, even if it’s’ just a bit, I might be able to wake him,” Jaune stated before turning to James. “Please, sir, at least let me try. You know my semblance isn’t capable of offensive abilities.”

James studied the teen briefly before signally for Marrow to free him from his restraints. Jaune gulped as he walked into the cold room and pulled back the sheet, revealing Clover’s lifeless body.

Carefully, he placed a hand on Clover’s temple and another above his heart before slowly activating his semblance. His aura coated the Specialist’s body, searching for even the tiniest amount of emerald aura. It took several agonizing moments as he felt the cold poisonous stares of the Ace Ops behind them.

 _‘Come on, Jaune, you can do this.’_ Marrow prayed. Beside him, James’s hand inched towards his holstered weapon.

Then finally, at the Clover’s deepest core, Jaune found a tiny spark of light.

Clover practically lurched off the stretcher as his aura forcibly restarted his brain and heart.

“H-hold him down,” Jaune shouted as he tried to ignore the man’s screaming and seizure-like movements. Elm and Vine raced into the room and held their leader down as Jaune’s semblance forced blood to once again pump throughout his body. Jaune increased the flow of aura, trying his best to drown out Clover’s agonizing screams. Several medical personnel ran towards the screaming and watched in shock and awe as the blond brought a man back from the dead.

Finally, after several agonizing minutes, Clover stopped convulsing and was taking deep rapid breaths.

“He’s alive!” someone shouted. With the room bustling with activity, Elm carefully dragged Jaune into the hall where Ironwood and the other were waiting. The doctors rushed in, placing an oxygen mask on Clover to help his breathing, and did several scans of his injuries.

“Great job.” Marrow whispered as he placed Jaune back in the handcuffs.

“Zeki, Bree; take Arc to a holding cell. We’re keeping him.” James decided. “Schnee, I leave you to make the necessary arrangements.”

Jaune risked one terrified look at Marrow as he was escorted out.

* * *

By the next morning, Jaune was stripped of his combat gear and into an Atlas uniform. He was also forced to wearing a hi-tech collar that would shock him if he tried to leave the building without a Specialist handler who had the codes. Something that Winter looked dishearten to do as she locked it in place before he was allowed out of his cell.

To an unsuspecting soldier, Jaune would appear to be one of them, but the Ace Ops knew that he was a prisoner of the state.

Every morning Jaune was escorted by Vine or Elm to a hospital ward where he healed several soldiers who had been injured in Grimm attacks. Every third day, he would do a follow-up healing for Clover, who had been placed into a medicated coma. Rarely, he would also be shunted off to a laboratory when they studied how his semblance worked on healing. Jaune was cautious on those days, never to show his true nature to make others stronger. On the days his services weren’t needed, he would be kept locked down in a room with only a bed, a table, and a chair. The sole window was bolted shut.

Jaune rarely saw Marrow, as Ironwood sent him out often to do perimeter rounds with Harriet or hunt down his friends who were thankfully still in hiding. The only times he saw him was through his window when he arrived or departed from the air docks.

On the fourth week of his captivity, Jaune was finally visited by Marrow, who had brought his dinner. The blond was sitting in the corner of his room, clutching a pillow to his chest, and staring at a crow sitting on his window ledge.

His uniform was neatly folded on the table, ready to be used for the next day and his newly issued scroll sat atop of the clothes as well.

“Clover is recovering well,” Jaune stated aloud.

“So, I’ve heard. Everyone says the Gods must bless you for having such a powerful semblance.” Marrow stated as he set down his tray before taking a seat in the chair next to his bed. He placed a hand on Jaune’s shoulder and gave him a pleading smile. “Vine says you’ve barely eaten this week.”

“Haven’t had an appetite,” Jaune replied softly. 

“Jaune, please.”

“Marrow, why did you bring me here?” Jaune asked. “And don’t tell it was to heal Clover. Neither of us knew that it was going to be possible for me to revive him.”

“I wasn’t going to leave you!” Marrow shouted. “I love you.”

Jaune turned away from the window to look at Marrow. Tears were streaming down his face. “You say you love me, but you forced me to leave my friends behind and made me a prisoner. If I try to leave, I’ll be shocked until I pass out or killed…what kind of life did you expect for me to have?”

“At least this way, you’ll be safe.” Marrow pleaded as he jumped off the seat and wrapped his arms around Jaune. “I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you!”

As the two sat in the silent embrace, the crow flew off towards Mantle. In its beak was a chip bearing the Atlas military's emblem that had been painstakingly shoved through a barely noticed crack in the window. 

There was no time to waste. 


End file.
